MediaTek MT8186 Display Support, Other SoC Enablement Coming To Linux 5.19

[johanb]

So you mean that when the upgrades to 20.04 and 22.04 arrive, they will keep using the old kernel? I don't think so. And again: they already promised that my devices will be supported until at least 24.04, so it's not like they're not going to do it.

They will continue using the newest kernel available to them, which will likely be the latest Android kernel that the vendor has released for that device rather than the mainline Linux kernel. How many versions behind they are will depend on the vendor and mediatek.

Just the fact that they have such a short end-of-support is a proof of that, since upstreamed Linux drivers are never removed unless they are not in use by anyone.

I don't know, but my guess would be that your device is stuck on some LTS kernel and not expected to be updated, and that UBports has planned to remove support for that kernel version after 24.04.

[Vistaus]

That's because UBports uses libhybris. Due to this, your kernel is likely old, closed source and you likely have binary android drivers.

So you mean that when the upgrades to 20.04 and 22.04 arrive, they will keep using the old kernel? I don't think so. And again: they already promised that my devices will be supported until at least 24.04, so it's not like they're not going to do it.

[johanb]

Ubuntu Touch works great on my MediaTek devices. It keeps on getting updates and it will also get the upgrade to Ubuntu Touch based on 20.04 later this year. And also to UT based on 22.04 later on. So it will be supported with updates for many years to come.

That's because UBports uses libhybris. Due to this, your kernel is likely old, closed source and you likely have binary android drivers.

[jaxa]

The other MT8186 Linux patches in recent days include the basic SoC support for this chip with six A55 cores and two A78 cores

That makes it a lot better than a simple refresh of the MT8183, but it also means it would have greater single-thread performance than the MT8192 which will use A76 cores. Seems weird.

[Vistaus]

People should pressure Mediatek to release open source drivers. I don't consider devices with their chips as I don't get any custom ROMs to keep my device up to date. That's where Qualcomm still shines even though they fell behind technologically in the low and mid range.

Ubuntu Touch works great on my MediaTek devices. It keeps on getting updates and it will also get the upgrade to Ubuntu Touch based on 20.04 later this year. And also to UT based on 22.04 later on. So it will be supported with updates for many years to come.

[Vistaus]

And here I thought MediaTek never contributed to the Linux kernel? At least that's what people keep saying…

[ms178]

(that is what this news article is about)

That's just the display support (next to other basic enablement patches), there is much more which sadly hasn't been upstreamed yet. Just research that topic, you will see complaints all over XDA forums that you don't get any custom ROMs for your Mediatek devices because they don't release the neccessary bits that custom ROM developers need.

[You-]

People should pressure Mediatek to release open source drivers.

(that is what this news article is about)

[ms178]

People should pressure Mediatek to release open source drivers. I don't consider devices with their chips as I don't get any custom ROMs to keep my device up to date. That's where Qualcomm still shines even though they fell behind technologically in the low and mid range.

[phoronix]

Phoronix: MediaTek MT8186 Display Support, Other SoC Enablement Coming To Linux 5.19

MediaTek has not officially announced the MT8186 SoC yet but there has been references to it within Chrome OS sources for months and various speculations about this new Chromebook-focused SoC. With Linux 5.19 there is going to be a lot of MT8186 enablement code landing...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pa...186-Linux-5.19